The Early Spring - Chapter 67

Chapter 67 - The Arena of Interests 

"Huh?" Luan Nian answered his phone while seated on the sofa, and Luke bounded up to sit right beside him.

"You've been leaving very early for three days in a row."

"Is there a problem with me going home after work?"

"...This doesn't look like your usual style."

Luan Nian chuckled. "Senior is getting a bit paranoid. I actually quite like Dony."

"I don't believe you."

"Rest assured, the only reason I've been heading home early these past few days is to walk the dog."

"You raised a dog?"

Luan Nian paused to think. "Mn, I raised a very handsome dog. I'll bring it over for you to meet one of these days." Upon hearing Luan Nian say it was handsome, Luke tilted its head and let out a soft whine. Luan Nian covered the mouthpiece with his hand and told it, "I lied."

"Don't bother. The dog you raised probably has the exact same temper as you." Tracy laughed. "Dony is planning to open up new headcount for the planning department, and he mentioned he'll discuss it with you at next week's management meeting. I'm asking for your thoughts in advance; if you approve, following our usual convention, we'll also allocate 30% of that headcount for internal open competition among company staff."

"Just open all of it to external candidates," Luan Nian said. "Judging by the current pool of people in the company, no one meets the hiring standards for the planning department."

"Understood."

Luan Nian hung up, turned his head to look at Luke, and told it, "Your master missed this bus. But I reckon she'll catch the next one. What do you think?"

Luke: Woof!

"Woof my foot!" Luan Nian pinched its furry cheeks and headed upstairs to work out. The moment he stepped onto the treadmill, he received a call from Jiang Lan: "Hello."

"Hello."

"The new planning department manager at your company is quite capable. You have a good eye." Jiang Lan was far too sharp a person to miss what was going on.

"As long as President Jiang is satisfied."

Jiang Lan dropped the vague pleasantries with Luan Nian: "He's coming in hot."

"That's great. Without drive, he wouldn't be appointed. Since he's coming in hot, it gives me a chance to take it easy."

"You're being too formal with me."

"I simply feel that people take corporate competition far too seriously."

"Just say the word if you need my help."

"Right. Thanks a lot." Luan Nian hung up and resumed his run on the treadmill. When the enemy advances, you retreat—isn't that also a strategy?

Barely two kilometers into his run, he received a call from Zang Yao: "I'm leaving. Care to meet up?"

"Didn't you say you were planning to stay in Beijing for another couple of years?"

"Not anymore. I'll wait for you by the shores of Houhai. I'll send you my location shortly."

"Alright."

Luan Nian tidied up and prepared to head out. Luke followed him down to the garage, and no matter how many times Luan Nian told it to stay home, the puppy acted as if it understood nothing. With no other choice, he brought it along. It climbed into the back seat, spotted an opening when a window was rolled down a crack, and thrust its little nose outside to breathe in the freedom of the fresh air.

Whenever they stopped at a red light, passengers in neighboring cars would find the puppy adorable and wave at it. Then, catching sight of the dog’s owner—such a handsome, stylish man—they would conclude that the car, the man, and the dog possessed an undeniable, striking cool factor all the way to Houhai. Luan Nian led Luke on a leash to meet Zang Yao. Luke seemed to proudly realize how good-looking it was, holding its head high the entire way, exuding a comical air of borrowing prestige from its master.

Zang Yao was genuinely surprised to see Luan Nian leading a dog, especially one this adorable. She looked from Luke to Luan Nian, her expression filled with subtle intrigue.

"What is it?"

"This isn't your dog."

"Whose is it then?"

"I'm guessing a woman's." Zang Yao knew Luan Nian far too well; he wouldn't keep a pet dog, and if he ever did, it would undoubtedly be a fierce guard dog like a Pitbull or a Tibetan Mastiff.

Luan Nian found a bottle of water, squatted down to let Luke drink, tied its leash to a chair, and looked up at Zang Yao: "You guessed right."

Zang Yao smiled and looked over at Luke. The dog was undeniably gorgeous; even though it was currently going through an awkward growth phase, those little eyes were bright and lively, and its tongue lolled out as it grinned happily, radiating a carefree spirit. They always said pets took after their owners, so Zang Yao tried to picture the dog's owner—she must be an equally harmless, clean, fresh, and utterly lovable young woman.

"When are you leaving?" Luan Nian asked her.

"The day after tomorrow."

"Why the rush?"

"We broke up." Zang Yao bared her forearm, which still bore purple bruising. "He got drunk and lost control. I slashed his arm with a knife, so he didn't get the upper hand either. That's just how it is; I'm heading back to the States."

Luan Nian looked at her arm, his brow furrowing. "Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"Where is he singing?"

"He left."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid you'd get into a physical fight for me, and then I wouldn't be able to stop myself from telling you I love you." Zang Yao looked straight at Luan Nian. "This is probably my first and last time laying my heart bare, Luan Nian. You know how I am—I can never keep things bottled up inside, and the only secret I've kept all these years is that I love you. I suppose I fell in love with your picture-perfect, fulfilled life, alongside your eternally untamed spirit. I never expected to end up with you; not everyone gets their wish in this life."

Luan Nian remained silent. Suddenly, Luke let out a sharp bark at Zang Yao, planted its front paws against Luan Nian's leg, and barked at her again.

Zang Yao smiled, her striking beauty blooming into a breathtaking expression: "That dog is keeping watch over you on behalf of its master!"

Luan Nian lowered his gaze to look at Luke. "It? It's just a stupid dog."

Displeased, Luke let out another indignant woof right at Luan Nian.

Amused by Luke, Zang Yao let out a soft laugh before turning her gaze back to Luan Nian. "Remember to come visit me when you're back in New York."

"Alright. Did he really leave?"

"He really left. He couldn't make it work anymore; the money he earned wasn't even enough to cover his drinking habits."

"Got it. Then I wish you a safe journey." Luan Nian checked his wristwatch and reached down to untie Luke's leash. Watching Luan Nian crouched there—his hair perpetually neat and immaculate, his attire impeccably tailored, forever rational—Zang Yao felt a pang of regret. After knowing each other for so many years, she had never once caught a glimpse of Luan Nian's other side.

As Luan Nian stood up, Zang Yao extended a hand toward him. "Shall we have a hug?"

"Sure." Luan Nian stepped forward, but just as he raised his arms, Luke wedged itself right between them, sitting down with a cheeky grin. Zang Yao shrugged, shared a purely symbolic embrace with him, then quickly stepped back a pace to look down at Luke. "You really are clever."

Luke suddenly stuck out its tongue: Well, obviously.

Zang Yao turned and walked away. In truth, she had always been a resolute person; drifting through the world all these years through wind and rain without ever stopping, she was undeniably a very cool woman. Luan Nian had very few female friends, and Zang Yao was likely the only one. Luan Nian still remembered the day he first met her, when someone had shoved his shoulder and whispered, "Go for it!"

He had shaken his head. "The moment I laid eyes on her, I knew nothing would ever happen between us." But they could certainly be friends.

Luan Nian walked along the shores of Houhai with Luke on its leash. Young women with flushed faces kept stepping forward to play with Luke, and the puppy lapped up the adoration, eagerly showing off every single one of its party tricks to the girls one by one.

There was only one catch: whenever any girl spoke to Luan Nian—asking questions like how old the dog was, what its name was, or how cute his dog was—the moment they opened their mouths, Luke would start barking, refusing to let anyone converse with him.

When Zang Yao had suggested that Luke was keeping watch over him for its master, he had written it off as a coincidence. But at this point, he no longer believed it was a coincidence. Pinching Luke's furry face, he demanded, "Are you keeping watch over me for your boss?" Seeing the puppy bark right back with absolute righteous indignation, he scolded it: "What kind of relationship do we even have for you to be guarding me?"

Giving Luke's head a firm smack, he ordered, "We're going home!"

Luan Nian spent a peaceful week playing the role of a dog father, arriving at the office by nine in the morning and leaving promptly at six in the evening. Tracy was starting to grow restless, and his colleagues were beginning to feel uneasy. In the corporate world, if someone's work habits underwent a drastic shift—such as turning from exceptionally diligent to unmotivated, or transforming from easygoing to suddenly sharp and confrontational—it signaled profound dissatisfaction with the company, or an impending departure.

On Friday, just as Luan Nian was packing up his belongings to leave as usual, Tracy walked into his office.

"Let's talk on Monday. I have to go home and walk the dog."

"Don't even think about it." Tracy pulled up a chair and sat down. "We're talking right now."

"Can't it wait until Monday?" Luan Nian retorted, glancing down at his watch. If he went back any later, Luke was going to tear the apartment apart. He really should have listened to that big idiot Shang Zhitao and locked Luke inside a cage.

Choosing not to bicker with him, Tracy went straight to the point: "What do you think of Dony?"

"Not bad."

"On what basis?"

"He swiftly visited all the core clients after taking office, actively prepared new strategies, and gets along well with colleagues. All solid points."

Tracy nodded. "Good."

"And what's your take?" Luan Nian asked her.

"I think he's quite good as well." Having spent years in human resources, her intuition told her that Dony was far from simple.

Luan Nian smiled. "Then why hasn't Dony's background check report been forwarded to me?"

"It arrived just today. It was a direct appointment by the board, so the background check bypassed our department," Tracy replied.

"But you definitely commissioned a separate check on your own." Having collaborated for years, Luan Nian knew Tracy well; she appeared mild-tempered, but she would never tolerate anyone challenging her authority. With the board dropping someone into the company without vetting it through her first, her immediate reaction would be that the situation was uncontrollable, followed swiftly by an active counter-offensive. Playing the political game couldn't be rushed; given enough time, once various interests came to light, everyone's true stances would naturally emerge—take Tracy, for instance. If the board dared to bypass her to install Dony today, tomorrow they might bypass her to install a new HR director.

Tracy offered a meaningful smile. "Since it didn't go through our company's designated background check agency, Luke will have to figure out how to approve this expense for me."

The corners of Luan Nian’s lips curved upward. "Fine." He stood up and told Tracy, "I really have to get back to walk the dog."

"You actually raised a dog?"

"Why would I lie to you?" Luan Nian pulled out his phone and pulled up a photograph of himself and Luke by Houhai, taken by a passing girl. When she had offered to email it to him, Luke had chosen that exact moment to bark, prompting Luan Nian to apologize and say, "Just post it to Weibo, and I'll download it from there."

It was a genuinely great photo; both Luke and Luan Nian looked rather dashing in it.

Tracy let out an appreciative sound. "That's a fine dog. Couldn't you hire someone to walk it?"

"No." With a half-smile, Luan Nian turned and walked out.

Tracy picked up her phone and dialed a number: "That background check I mentioned earlier—keep running it. The funding is secured." Returning to her workstation, she forwarded the background check report on Dony sent by headquarters straight to Luan Nian.

Upon returning home, Luan Nian found that Shang Zhitao had already returned from her business trip and was currently holding a conference call with suppliers regarding the bidding process for the August marketing campaign. Luke was curled up near her feet, clearly having already been walked. He settled onto the sofa, opened his laptop, and began reviewing the documents Tracy had sent over.

The resume was undeniably impressive, boasting a background in both consulting and the arts. Luan Nian skimmed through it quickly—in truth, there wasn't much to examine, as anything sent down by the board was bound to be sanitized for public consumption, and he held zero interest in such accolades. The moment Shang Zhitao wrapped up her meeting and shut her laptop, he asked her, "How much discretionary budget does the marketing department have left unused?"

"We still have a little over 600,000 for this quarter."

"HR is launching a project and will send out an approval request email tonight. Have finance transfer the funds to them."

"Understood."

"It's a special approval," Luan Nian added. "Keep it strictly confidential."

"Got it."

Shang Zhitao felt as though she had climbed onto the same boat as Luan Nian, and the sensation was rather surreal. She didn't press him on what special project HR was undertaking or why it required special approval—there was simply no need to ask. However, she could certainly ask about Luke's wellbeing; she had checked in once during her trip, and when Luan Nian replied that everything was fine and that she could have left it at a kennel if she didn't trust him, she hadn't dared to bring it up again.

"Was Luke a good boy?"

"Mn."

"It didn't fall ill or anything, did it? It's still so young and prone to getting sick. That's the main reason I didn't want to send it to a boarding kennel."

Instead of answering her directly, Luan Nian gestured toward Luke: "Isn't it right there looking completely fine?"

Suddenly springing to its feet, Luke trotted over to Shang Zhitao's side and let out a string of aggrieved barks, as if nursing some deep grievance.

Wait, what?

Dogs couldn't speak human words. Luan Nian leaned back against the sofa with an air of casual ease, not forgetting to toss in a complaint: "That dog of yours barks indiscriminately all day long. It's quite annoying."